It Might've Happened Sooner
by SurviveWithoutAnyone
Summary: Katniss and Peeta growing up before the Reaping. One-Shot - Everlark Week on Tumblr


**Kindergarten**

_Peeta_

Today is Tuesday. Tuesday is my favorite day of the week. We have Music on Tuesday. I love hearing Katniss sing. She has the most beautiful voice in the whole world.

_Katniss_

Daddy picks me up from school today. I'm so excited to go home and play with Prim.

"Did you have fun at school today?" Daddy asks.

"Yes Daddy. I sang. I want to go home and sing to Prim." I tell him.

"Okay Katniss. Let's go."

"When I have kids, I'm going to sing to them all day." I tell Daddy. He laughs.

**1****st**** Grade**

_Peeta_

For show and tell, I'm bringing the sugar cookies, Dad and I always make together. Maybe Katniss will like my cookies so much, she will want to be my friend. Then maybe she'll kiss me and we'll live happily ever after.

_Katniss_

Daddy says I can't bring his bow and arrow for show and tell. I am bringing the only picture we have of Prim. I will tell all my classmates how good it is to be a big sister. Prim is so perfect.

**2****nd**** Grade**

_Peeta_

Katniss Everdeen is in the bakery with her dad. She is so perfect. Her braid is perfect. Her lips are perfect. Her skin is -.

"Why are you looking at that Seam Trash?" My oldest brother asks.

"What?" I ask angrily.

"You'll never kiss her. Seam Trash don't belong around here." He says.

"Shut up!" I yell before storming out. How dare he. Katniss isn't trash. Katniss is perfect. She belongs with me. She was meant for me.

_Katniss_

There are those blue eyes looking at me again. He doesn't look at me the same way the rest of his kind do but he is always staring at me. I used to wonder if there was something wrong with him. Now I wonder if there is something wrong with me.

**3****rd**** Grade**

_Peeta_

Today is Reaping Day. This is the 1st year my oldest brother is eligible. My father says it's not likely he'll be reaped because his name is only entered once. We are still scared. Dad let us have a loaf of cinnamon bread today before the reaping. I'm carrying my bread with a glass of milk to the table but I'm shaking so bad in fear of my brother that I drop my plate.

"What's the matter with you worthless child? Can't even carry your own plate without making a mess." My mother yells. Suddenly, she smacks me on the back of the head with such force that I'm knocked to my knees.

"Clean up this mess now." She yells. My father and brothers stare at her shocked. We are used to her yelling but she has never hit us before.

"What are the rest of you looking at?" She scorns. They all turn back to their breakfast.

I let the tears fall silently as I clean up my mess.

_Katniss_

I caught Peeta staring at me again today. This time I stared right back. I noticed that his bright blue eyes are brighter than Prim's. I watched his eyes twinkle slightly when I smiled at him. I also noticed the way the waves of hair fell over his eyes.

**4****th**** Grade**

_Peeta_

I watch Katniss and Prim everyday as they walk home until they are completely out of my view before I finish walking home myself. Today I follow a little because while Prim is skipping, Katniss is actually singing. I rarely get to hear Katniss sing outside of Music class. Even in class, everyone is singing together so it would be hard to pick out her voice if I weren't actually listening for it. So today I follow her to the edge of the Seam just to hear her bell like voice.

_Katniss_

Daddy finally taught me how to hunt yesterday. I've been in the woods and swam in the lake and gathered plants but yesterday, Daddy showed me how to hunt. It's all I can think about and I'm not paying attention when I run into Peeta, nearly knocking him over and falling on top of him. We both mutter 'sorry' before scampering off in different directions.

**5****th**** Grade**

_Peeta_

Today we are studying the history of Panem and the Reaping. In two more years, I'll be eligible for the Reaping. So will Katniss. I don't like to think about Katniss being reaped so instead, I imagine the odds being in both our favors. Neither of us will be reaped and then I will marry Katniss. I imagine what it would be like to finally kiss her. I wonder what our kids will be like.

_Katniss_

Today we are discussing the history of Panem and the Reaping. I wonder why anyone would have children to watch them grow up, fearing all the time that they will be reaped and then watching them die when they are. I am never having children.

**6****th**** Grade**

_Peeta_

I wish I knew what to say to her. I wish there were some words of comfort I could offer her. As soon as they had informed us of the explosion in the mines, I knew her father would be injured. I didn't know her father would be dead. Or maybe it was just hope. I did hope he would survive for her. Each time I see her she looks tired and broken. I wish I could walk up and hug her. I wonder if she'd want me to.

_Katniss_

I'm all alone now. My family has been torn apart by the absence of my father. My mother wears a vacant expression, not moving, not talking. I even have to force her to eat. In turn, I have been taking care of Prim. I wish there was someone to take care of me, even if all they offered was a shoulder to cry on.

**7****th**** Grade**

_Peeta_

I should've gone to her after I gave her the bread. I catch her looking at me now. Does she want to talk to me? In the days after I gave her the bread, I saw her body come back to life. But she no longer sings. I haven't seen her smile. Sometimes I wonder if I would be able to make her smile. Maybe I could even make her laugh. One day I will. One day I'll tell her I love her.

_Katniss_

I've caught him looking at me several times. He must know that I'll never be able to pay him back. Once I realized that he burned the bread on purpose, I had almost wished he hadn't. Now there is a debt I can never repay. He saved Prim's life, nothing is equivalent. One day, though, one day I'll at least be able to say 'thank you'.

**8****th**** Grade**

_Peeta_

Alright this is it. I will talk to her today. I don't have to confess my undying love but I will talk to her. I can at least do that. Maybe I can get her to come to the annual festival with me. Maybe she'll learn to trust me and then I can tell her. But today I'll just talk to her.

_Katniss_

I don't understand what they want from me. I don't have time for friends or boys. My friendship with Gale merely exists out of necessity. I don't need anyone else trying to get close to me. I'm never going to fall in love. It's a useless emotion and a waste of time.

**9****th**** Grade**

_Peeta_

There he is. The person whose existence, I'm sure, has only been provided to him in order to torment me and cause me extreme anguish. Gale Hawthorne. He can have any girl he wants. A fact, that to my understanding he has proven time and again. And here he is, taunting me with his relationship with Katniss. _My Katniss._ I'll never be able to compete with him. Maybe it's time I move on and return the attention to some of these girls that are interested.

_Katniss_

I hear what my classmates say about me. I see the way the girls look at me and hear them whispering. I guess I can understand how they come to their conclusions. I mean, girls from the Seam do have a reputation for being slutty and promiscuous. And Gale is kind of attractive. But Gale is like a brother. He's a good friend and hunting partner. That's it. Any other girl that wants him can have him.

**10****th**** Grade**

_Peeta_

I've heard the term Seam Slut several times. I know what some of those girls are like. I don't really think it's their fault. I'm aware that some of the Merchant boys like to lead the Seam girls on and then never talk to them again after they get what they want. They are the ones who spread the rumors about the girls being slutty. So today when I overheard Johnny calling Katniss a Seam Slut I couldn't help but punch him in the face. Not my Katniss. She's smarter than the other girls. She wouldn't fall for it. Besides, something tells me she wouldn't believe your intentions were good even they were. Maybe that's just something I tell myself to make up for not talking to her. If Johnny is calling Katniss a Seam Slut it could only be because she turned him down. This thought causes me to smile while I make his face bleed.

_Katniss_

The Wrestling Tournament is today. Maybe I should tell Peeta 'good luck'. It would give me a reason to talk to him and tell him thank you for the bread 4 years ago. I am pondering these thoughts when my eyes meet his in the hallway just like they always do. But then his eyes flit away and he disappears before I can take a step forward. Who am I kidding? He probably doesn't care what I think about him. He probably doesn't even remember that day. I do though.


End file.
